The Love Children
by Tadariada
Summary: Hermione has two kids, Harry has been gone out of her life for 17 years. Ron is the kid's godfather, but who is the real father? The world may never know...(This story is a pretty mushy mystery. It's an H/H {the only one I'll ever do} and it's so corny it
1. The Missing Man

  
  
  
  
  
  
"Harry..." Hermione mumbled and rolled over in bed.   
  
"Buon giorno, Principessa," Came Harry's voice. Hermione awoke suddenly.  
  
"Oh. Hi," She said sleepily when she saw him.   
  
"Do you need anything?" Harry asked and smiled at her.   
  
"Nothing comes to mind," Hermione said slowly. "Why do you ask?"  
  
"Well you said my name, so I figured you wanted something." Harry said with a shrug. He swung his legs out of bed and walked around the room, picking up his clothing that had been tossed around in the heat of the moment the night before. He picked up Hermione's clothes to and tossed them at her. "Flower print undies. Cute." Hermione blushed.  
  
"Thanks." She said sheepishly. Harry sighed.  
  
"You know what? It took us about a year to actually get this far." He laughed. "We are to prude to be allowed to live." Hermione laughed to.   
  
"I agree."  
  
"So you think we should die then?"  
  
"Not for a while. I think I want to have a couple kids before I die." She decided. Harry didn't meet her eyes on that one.   
  
"Let's get dressed." He said. Hermione threw herself off the bed and joined him in getting dressed, although she changed into clean clothes as they were in her room.   
  
"You look pretty today." Harry commented.   
  
"You flatter me." Hermione said with another blush. "But while we're on the topic, you are gorgeous to."  
  
"Gorgeous? Me?" Harry said and pointed to himself.  
  
"Yep! You." Hermione said. "I love you!"  
  
"Why thank you. I love you to!" He kissed her.   
  
"What is Ron going to say?" Hermione said.   
  
"Forget that. I'm more worried about how many of my bones he's going to break." Harry said. Hermione chuckled.  
  
"Nonsense." She said. "You didn't kill Ron when I dated him."  
  
"Yes, but you never slept with him."  
  
"True."   
  
"You know I'm always right." Harry said.  
  
"In your own little world." Hermione said. Harry glared at her sarcastically.  
  
"Maybe we shouldn't tell him about last night."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I dunno. It sounds like more fun."  
  
"And then what if he catches us shagging?" Hermione said and raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Then we're screwed." Harry said. Hermione let out a short laugh. She clutched her stomach and pretended to puke.  
  
"Oh the puns!" She moaned. "I can't take the puns." Harry threw his robes on over his head and walked over to Hermione on the other side of the room.  
  
"Honey, I have to go on a business trip for a couple of weeks." Harry said.  
  
"Where? Am I allowed to visit?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Majorca, and this is a training, so no friends or loved ones are allowed to come." Harry said.  
  
"Well that sucks." Hermione said.  
  
"You can still write me letters." Harry pointed out.  
  
"That's true. When do you have to leave?" She asked.  
  
"Right now," Harry whined.   
  
"I'm going to miss you." Hermione said.  
  
"I'm going to miss you more." Harry shot back.  
  
"I doubt it." Hermione said. "Do you really love me Harry?"   
  
"More than you'll ever know." Harry replied. "Do you love me Hermione?"  
  
"Yes, always and forever." Hermione said. They kissed. When they broke, they looked deep into each other's eyes. Hermione had a twisted feeling in her stomach that she didn't like. Something was telling her that she wouldn't ever be seeing Harry again.  
  
"What's wrong?" Harry asked, sensing something wrong.  
  
"Promise you'll come back?" Hermione said, getting teary for no obvious reason.  
  
"I shall always come for you." Harry replied. They embraced and kissed again. "Now, I really do have to go." Harry broke the hug.  
  
"Goodbye Harry, I love you."   
  
"I love you too." And with a snap Harry was gone.   
  
  
~ *~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *  
  
  
'HARRY POTTER MISSING; PRESUMED DEAD'  
  
  
  
Hermione read the newspaper in shocked dis belief three months later. This can't be true, she repeated in her mind. She new Harry had been missing, she hadnt seen him since the morning he went to the training for his work. But dead? That couldn't be true. No, it couldn't possibly be true.  
  
There was a knock at Hermione's door to her Hogsmeade apartment. She stood up shakily and opened it. Ron was standing there.  
  
"Oh Hermione!" He cried and threw his arms around her. "It's true! They found some blood…it matches his." Ron started to cry. Hermione felt like she was spinning around in circles. Tears started to drip silently down her cheeks, mingling with Ron's.  
  
"No!" She whispered. "No, no, no, no, no!"  
  
"Oh, Hermione." Ron choked out. "It'll be okay."  
  
"No!" She sobbed. "You don't understand, Ron. I'm- I'm- I'm pregnant."   
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~* ~*  
  
  
  
  
"Okay, Hermione. Push!" Said the nurse in the delivery room of Mungo's hospital.   
  
"I am pushing, damn it!" Hermione screamed. Ron squeezed his eyes shut. This was gross. "Ron! Come here!" Ron obeyed the pregnant lady's command. He was a bit afraid of her. When he reached her side he offered her his hand which she took and squeezed with enough power to crush his fingers.  
  
"Just a bit further, honey! The baby's almost out!" The doctor said. Hermione couldn't hold back her yells of pain anymore.  
  
"I CAN'T BELIEVE HE DID THIS TO ME!" She yelled and gripped Ron's hand tighter still. "HARRY POTTER! WHEREVER YOU ARE, I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY!"   
  
"Congratulations," The nurse said in a surprised voice after a minute of Hermione cursing and yelling Harry's name in hate. "You have a beautiful baby girl. And a handsome baby boy." They cleaned the newborns off and set them in their mother's arms. The baby girl opened it eyes. They were Harry's. Hermione began to cry as she looked at her baby daughter.   
  
"She is beautiful." Ron said from somewhere near Hermione's shoulder.   
  
"Ron, I don't know if I can do this. They both look so much like-" Hermione started.  
  
"Shh- shhh. You'll be a wonderful mother." Ron said.  
  
"Thank you Ron. Would you like to be their- godfather?"  
  
"I'd love to." Ron said. "What are you going to name her?"  
  
"I don't know. What do you think of- Angela and James?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Those are both perfect." Ron said and looked at the baby boy that already had a little mound of black fuzz on his head.  
  
"Angela Marie Granger and James Brian-no, no, no James Gregory Granger."   
  
  



	2. Angela and James

Angela had blossomed into a lovely girl. She had long smooth red hair that looked nothing like Hermione's hair or what Harry's crazy mop used to look like. She had Hermione's nose, ears and smile and Harry's sparkling green eyes. She wore oval shaped rimless glasses because she had inherited her father's horrible eyesight. She was pretty short like Harry to. Angela had Harry's skills with a broomstick.  
  
James was also short, but with black hair and green eyes. He looked a lot like Hermione despite the color of his eyes and hair though. He refused to even touch a pair of glasses so Hermione paid the optometrist a few extra galleons and had gotten him contacts. He was a very handsome boy and Hermione could never keep up with all of his girlfriends. He was very book smart and usually the sensible child.   
  
Ron had been there a good deal of the time when they were growing up. When Angela was a baby, she used to call him daddy, and nobody had expected that. When she grew older she realized that he wasn't her father, but still called him dad. Hermione deeply disapproved of this and that of course made her want to do it even more. James thought that calling Ron daddy was extremely childish and he had always him Ron. (Although it was 'Won' for a while with the childish lisp)   
  
They had moved since Angela and James were born, and now they lived in a rather large that was too big for only three people, but they had all loved it so they moved in. Hermione now had her own very large workroom and one of the extra rooms had been converted into a library. No matter how much Angela had whined about living in a small town, Hermione had been reticent and ignored her daughter's complaints about Hogsmeade. James loved being in the small town like Hermione did. She felt to attached to this town to leave now.  
  
"Were we a one night stand mom?" Angela asked one morning during their summer vacation prior to their sixth year of Hogwarts. Hermione spit out her juice all over her morning paper.   
  
"What?"  
  
Were James and me the product of a one night stand?" Angela asked again.  
  
"No."  
  
"So you do know who our real dad is then."  
  
"Quello Bello," Hermione cooed to her daughter, using her pet name. (Italian for beautiful one) "Why don't you go upstairs and get your brush and a few hair ties. I would love to do your hair. It's been a long time." Angela sighed and left the kitchen. She never had understood why her mother wouldn't talk about her father. It's not as though she minded that much; she did have Ron, who was a great guy to talk to about Quidditch and things of that sort, which her mother avoided. She entered her room and grabbed her brush and about fifteen elastic hair ties.   
  
Another thing she never understood about her mother was the fact that she just loved doing her hair. She supposed it was because her mom had chopped her own hair off when she had Angela. It was a cute stylish short cut that reached the middle of her neck and looked very good on her mother's pretty face. Angela heaved another sigh. Her mother was great. She seemed to always be there to listen, and didn't judge her. She was incredibly smart, and had a good job that paid well.   
  
Angela walked slowly back down the big sweeping flight loving the sound her heels made on the marble. Her mother was sitting at the table still playing around with her hardboiled eggs. They didn't seem to want to be stuck by the fork. She looked up as Angela entered the room.  
  
"Mom, tell me about Hogwarts when you were a kid. Jamie says that they didn't have that stupid no magic over the summer rule when his mom was at school.  
  
"Sure. W had that rule then to. And you best keep to that rule. I had a-a-a friend when I was at school, and he only just got off the hook. He almost got expelled for what he did."  
  
"Mom," James had arrived in the doorway of the living room. "You had friends that were guys?"   
  
"Of course! Yeah- Ron is my best friend. We've known each other since we were eleven."   
  
"Oh so only one," James said, looking a little put out.  
  
"Only one? Most of my friends were guys in school. Neville, Seamus, Dean, Ron, and   
H- H-" Hermione found she couldn't say the name.  
  
"Wh- wh- who?" James asked. Hermione didn't answer his question. Hermione suddenly seemed to be very weak.  
  
"Mom are you okay?" Angela asked urgently.  
  
"What's the date?" She mumbled in a voice that didn't sound like it usually did.  
  
"It's the tenth of July," James said quickly. Hermione's heart sank. It was the day Harry had left.   
  
"Oh god." She moaned.  
  
"Mom! What's up?" James asked and put an arm around her. "Having a bad day?"  
  
"No." Hermione said and straitened up, her face streaked with slowly falling tears. "I'm fine. I'll be up in my room- working." She walked through the double doors out of the living room and started jogging up the stairs.   
  
She opened the doors to her large room and walked over to her desk where sat a picture frame. The picture was of three smiling teenagers, but only two of them were showing in the frame. Hermione had made sure that Harry could not be seen. She grabbed the picture.  
  
She was now trembling with sadness and frustration. She looked at the picture. She let out a burst of tears and with a racking sob and chucked the picture as hard as she could at the wall. The frame shattered, leaving the whole picture to be seen.   
  
"What was that?" James and Angela asked at the same time.  
  
"I think it was glass." Angela said.  
  
"No really?" James said sarcastically.  
  
"I'm scared, James. Have you ever seen mom act like that? One second okay, the next second manic depressive?"  
  
"Yeah, I think so. It was last year- at around this time of year. That one day she locked herself in her room all day?"  
  
"I remember that." Angela said after a second.   
  
"What should we do? I can hear her crying from upstairs. It's never been that bad before."   
  
"Leave her to her own devices?"  
  
"I was thinking we would call Ron."   
  
"How?" Angela asked.   
  
"We could do the fire bubble."   
  
"That's qualified as magic, you dumb ass." Angela said. "Say, doesn't Dad have a phone?"  
  
"One of those muggle things? Yeah he does. But we don't."   
  
"Yeah. I've seen one in the attic."  
  
"Well what are we waiting for then?" They started heading up the stairs, until they reached the trap door on the ceiling that led to the attic. Angela sat on James shoulders so they could reach the pull to open it. She grabbed the little cord and yanked on it. The door opened and steps slid down.   
  
"Age before beauty," Angela said and motioned to the stairs. James glared at her and went up first.   
  
"You do realize you were born first." James pointed out as they started looking through the dusty boxes for the phone.  
  
"But I'm still prettier than you." Angela said. "Ah! I've found it."   
  
"Ah! I've found it!" James said putting on a high voice.   
  
"Shut it you." Angela snapped. "What do we do with this thing now?" She was holding up the cord to the phone.  
  
"Hold on a sec. I took Muggle Studies. We need to find eyeball."   
  
"The what?"   
  
"Okay not the eyeball but the- the-"   
  
"The socket? You dork."   
  
"Yeah the socket. D' you think mum has one up here?"  
  
"Yeah, it's over there." Angela said and pointed to the outlet. They stuck the cord in.   
  
"Isn't it supposed to ring now?"   
  
"Do we have to push the little numbers?"  
  
"What is Ron's number?"  
  
"Hey look! There are names taped on the speed dial paper thingy." Angela exclaimed. "Let's see here," She started reading off the names. " … Mom and Dad…Ginny Weasley…Harry Potter? I didn't know mum knew him…Pizza…Minerva McGonagall…. Urgh, mom was friends with the headmaster? Oh- here it is! Ron Weasley!" The pressed the speed dial button and then pressed '6.'   
  
"Is it ringing?" James asked urgently.   
  
"Yeah. Shut up!" The phone started ringing. It took a while for it to pick up.   
  
"Hello?" Ron's voice said from the other line.  
  
"It worked? Wicked. Hi dad it's me, Angela."  
  
"I didn't know you guys had a phone." Ron said.   
  
"Angela. Tell him about mom." James hissed.   
  
"Um, dad? Mom is being really weird."  
  
"How so?" Ron asked.  
  
"Oh let me talk. You're no good at this." James said and jerked the phone out of his sister's hand.   
  
"Ron? Mom locked herself in her room and she's just in there, crying her eyes out. And we thought we heard glass breaking. What should we do?"  
  
"What's the date?"  
  
"The tenth." James said.  
  
"Oh crap. I'll be over in a few seconds. Where are you guys? The attic?"  
  
"Yeah."   
  
"Okay. Bye."  
  
"Bye Ron." He hung up the phone. Three seconds later there was a little pop and Ron was standing right next to Angela. She jumped.  
  
"Oh- it's you." She said, relieved.  
  
"I'm going to go out with your mother for a little while." Ron said.  
  
"Not on a date, right?"  
  
"Why would I date your mother at a time like this? Or anytime for that matter?"   
  
"I dunno."  
  
"So don't wait up for us tonight."  
  
"Can do. Where are you going to go?"  
  
"Into town. A little shopping a little...drinking."  
  
"Um- I guess that's okay if it'll improve her mood." Angela said.   
  
"Believe me. Now how do you get out of here?" Angela pointed to the trap door. "Oh- right-o." He climbed down the steps.  
  
"Hermione?" Ron said and knocked lightly on her door.  
  
"Go away." She said in a muffled, crying voice.   
  
"Alohomora." He said and the door clicked unlocked. Hermione was lying on her bed sobbing and clutching a picture. Glass was shattered everywhere on the bed and Hermione's hand and left leg were bleeding from where it had nicked her, but she didn't seem to notice.   
  
"Ron...It's been seventeen years to this very day. Where did he go?" She cried. "Why did he leave?"  
  
"Honey." Ron went over to her and hugged his best friend. "You know Harry disappeared. He wouldn't leave us on purpose. You know that."  
  
"So do you think he's...d-d-dead?" Hermione started sobbing more violently.  
  
"Well it has been seventeen years...Let's go on a walk." He said and ushered her out the door. Angela and James watched Ron lead their mother out the door from the attic window.  
  
"I wonder what's wrong with her." Angela said.  
  
"P.M.S." James guessed. Angela laughed.  
  
"Nobody has that bad of mood swings."  
  
"Let's get out of here. The dust is giving me a headache." James said and coughed, spreading dust off of a pile of papers next to them.  
  
"What're these?" Angela asked and picked up a few of them. "They're pictures of mom! Look at her! She looks almost our age. Like 18 or something." She flipped the picture over.  
  
"She was 19." James said, reading over her shoulder. "Bring those downstairs. Let's see what's in there." They walked down the rickety latter and down the sweeping staircase into the living room. They sat in there for hours upon hours looking at all the old photos.   
  
"Look, here's mom when she was erm- 17 in a ballet recital." Angela said and threw James the picture of Hermione in a tutu walking around on her toes.   
  
There was suddenly a ring at the doorbell. "I'll get it." They said at the same time. They laughed and both went to get the door. Angela opened it. A short man with black hair was standing before him. He was wearing a pair of cracked glasses and looked very strong but almost starved. Angela wasn't sure if she trusted those fiery eyes behind the glasses. Her hand gripped the door's edge tighter as he surveyed the twins with wide eyes.  
  
"Can we help you?" James asked tensely.  
  
"I hope so. I your-" His eyes narrowed slightly for a moment as he looked at them again-  
" Mother home?"   
  
"No." James said.   
  
"Are you sure?"   
  
"Quite." Angela said.  
  
"Odd. One would think that-" He thought for a moment, deciding whether or not to tell them something. " Never mind. Where did she go?"  
  
"Who's asking?" James snapped.  
  
"No one of consequence." The stranger shot back.  
  
"Well, then why should we tell you where she is?" James asked. "I mean, as we have no idea who you are and what you want with our mother."  
  
"And if you're one of those men who are trying to buy out our book store, it's not for sale."  
  
"Hermione owns a book store?" The man shook with laughter. The smile lighted up his face and made him quite handsome. "That is so typical. And I thought she would end up as the Mistress of Magic or something more- ah- dignified."  
  
"Owning a store is much more dignified than a lot of jobs out there. How dare you!" Angela snapped rather harshly.  
  
"Did I say otherwise?"  
  
"It was implied." Angela said. She wasn't sure why she was fighting with the stranger. He seemed to be nice and possibly trustworthy. He had this silvery glint in his eye that made both of the twins uncomfortable. It made you think of the glint that Dumbledore had in his eye, the one that let you know that he knew just about everything, including what you were going to say next.  
  
"Hardly. Your mother and I are old school friends. I haven't seen her in quite a few years."  
  
"A likely story." James spat.   
  
"James, calm down." Angela hissed. "I don't think he means harm." The stranger's eyes widened and his jaw dropped.  
  
"What did you say your name was?" He asked incredulously.  
  
"James. What's it to you?" James snapped.   
  
"Our mother is in town to day, with our father. We have some- er - some work we should be getting to. Good day sir." Slam. Angela snapped the door shut. They both watched the stranger walk down the dirt road until he was out of sight.   
  
"Well that was weird." Angela said.  
  
"No kidding." They went back to looking at the old pictures. They forgot all about dinner as they looked through the old photographs. They found a few newspaper clippings here and there. One of them looked like it had been drenched.   
  
"Look at this one. 'Harry Potter gone missing; presumed dead.'" Angela read. "Wasn't he friends with mom? No wonder her and Ron never talk about him."  
  
"That is really sad." James said agreeing. He glanced at the time and shook his head. "Well they're out late." As if on cue the front door opened and they heard their mother laughing. They exchanged glances and walked through the double doors into the entrance hall.   
  
Hermione was rather red in the face and was in silent hysterics balancing herself on Ron's shoulder. Ron had a very pained and guilty look on his face and was very stiff.  
  
"Mom?" James and Angela asked. Hermione turned to them.  
  
"Oh hi kids." She said. "I had the most lovely evening with Ron." She giggled. Her voice was like she was on a roller coaster, the tone going up and down.   
  
"Ron.." James said a slow as humanly possible. "What did you do to our mother?"  
  
"One drink led to another, and she's- um not sad anymore, is she?" Ron said innocently and bit his lip. Hermione was still laughing.   
  
"She is so drunk!" Angela said and clapped her hands together gleefully. "Excellent."  
  
  
  
  



	3. The Stranger

James elbowed her in the stomach, but Angela paid no attention to him. "Hey mom, I was wondering if I could get my belly button pierced."  
  
"Sure honey." Hermione said and turned to look at James. "James, how was your date tonight?"  
  
"I- didn't have a date tonight." James said and raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Yes you did, don't be stupid." She said. James's eyes widened as she walked over to him and poked a finger in his chest. She narrowed her eyes and asked, "Are you having sex?" Angela burst out laughing and so did Ron.   
  
"What?" James asked incredulously.   
  
"You heard me." Hermione warned.  
  
"No!" James said and stumbled backwards.   
  
"That's what I thought." Hermione said as if she'd known all along. James looked mortified. "Now I think I'm going upstairs." She walked up the stairs talking constantly to somebody who wasn't there and her steps meandering from side to side.   
  
"I'm sorry!" Ron said as James glared at him. "We only had five drinks, I swear! I didn't know she would react like that!"  
  
"Whatever." James said, but he was smiling now.   
  
"Do you promise to keep an eye on her tonight? I don't want her to hurt herself in this- condition."  
  
"We promise." They said together.   
  
"Okay, I trust you kids. I'll see you later." Ron said and disapparated. They heard their mom singing from behind the closed doors of her room. They laughed and were about to go look at the pictures when there was a nervous knock on the front door. James and Angela looked at each other and turned around to open the door. It was the man from earlier that day. He jumped a bit when he saw them.  
  
"Whoa. That was quick." He said and laughed. Angela and James smiled a bit. "Is your mom home now?"  
  
"Yeah but she's- not exactly herself…" Angela said, and couldn't help but laugh.  
  
"What do you mean?" The man asked. "She's not- uh- sad is she? You know, like depressed?"  
  
"What?" James and Angela said together.   
  
"Well, not anymore." James said uncomfortably. The man sighed.   
  
"That's good." He sounded a good deal less stressed. "Can I see her?"   
  
"No." Angela said, but at the very same second James said;  
  
"Yeah!" He darted up the stairs and knocked on Hermione's door.  
  
"That idiot!" Angela hissed under her breath. The man heard her.  
  
"I don't bite." He said.   
  
"Yeah well, we don't know that." Angela said almost lazily. She thought the guy must be okay, or at least he didn't seem like he was bad.   
  
"I see your point."   
  
"Mmm," Angela said and yawned.   
  
"Angela!" James cried as he ran down the stairs. "Angela, she's- she's- she's on the roof!" He leaned against the door, panting.   
  
"The roof?" Angela and the stranger said at the same time.   
  
"Why is she up there?" Angela asked.  
  
"I don't know." James said. They heard a muffled hiccup from the roof. They all moved back so they could get a better look. Hermione was dancing ballet on the roof with no shoes on. She was wearing her nightgown that was a long floaty thing that was blowing around in the wind.   
  
"Mom, get down from there!" Angela cried up to her. Hermione didn't seem to notice. She just kept walking on her toes on the flat roof and every now and then doing some dangerous trick.   
  
"Hermione! You'll hurt yourself!" Called the stranger. Angela and James jumped. They didn't know he knew her name. Hermione glanced down at them.  
  
"Ooh." She said in her drunken, sing- song voice. "What a pretty night! Oh how I wish I could fly."  
  
"Don't!" All three of them cried.  
  
"I've seen Hagrid do it a million times. I should be able to do this to…" She paced backwards a few steps, facing them. "One…two…threeeee!" She ran to the edge of the roof and jumped. Her nightgown whipped out behind her as she started to fall quickly to the ground.  
  
"Catch her!" The stranger yelled to the kids. They all ran around under her. Hermione was laughing and smiling. She fell into the stranger's arms and it looked like he was holding a baby.  
  
"Wee!" She said.   
  
"Bon giorno, principessa!" The stranger said pleasantly and smiled at the drunken woman in his arms. Hermione looked at him and smiled.  
  
"Bon gior-" She started, but her eyes then met his and she fell silent for a few seconds. Glinting behind the glasses were brilliant green eyes. They were oddly familiar. Instinctively her eyes flitted up to his forehead. They widened in terror as she realized who's arms she was in. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!" She screamed into his face and then she fainted. Angela muffled a small cry.  
  
"James! Go call dad! Now!" She commanded. James nodded and dashed back in the house and up to the attic.   
  
"Can you help by carrying her to her room?" Angela asked the stranger who was looking at the woman in his arms in an odd way.   
  
"Sure," he said and followed Angela up the stairs and into Hermione's room. He gently lowered her onto her large bed.   
  
"Thanks." Angela said, sounding stressed. "I wouldn't have been able to get her up here."  
  
"Oh, I don't know." The man said. "Well I should probably get going. Find a hotel to stay in or something." Angela did some quick thinking.  
  
"Why don't you just stay with us? I mean you saved our mom's life and all. You can't be that bad..." She said slowly.  
  
"I don't know if your mom will like that." The stranger said skeptically. Angela rolled her eyes.  
  
"Were you born yesterday? My mom has blacked out and unless I'm quite mistaken, she cannot make important decisions like this in her condition." Angela said. "We'll explain it to her in the morning." The man laughed.  
  
"Well, when you put it like that..."  
  
"You accept."  
  
"Indeed."   
  
"Cool. Um... I guess we'll put you up in the guest bedroom..." She pointed to an open door down a hall to the left. "You should be comfortable there, and feel free to raid the kitchen if you're hungry. Me and James do that all the time." Angela winked slyly. There was a pop from the living room.  
  
"Angela, James? What was the emergency?" Came a man's voice.  
  
"Oh Dad!" Angela called. "Thank god you're here! Mom passed out…she's upstairs. Come on. See you in the morning and thanks again!" She added to the man.  
  
He watched the retreating back of Ron Weasley and the girl who was called Angela jog up the stairs. It registered in his mind where the red hair must have come from. His heart sank. Hermione was no longer his.  
  
  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
Hermione woke up with a terrible headache and a premonition of foreboding. Then she remembered what had happened the last night. It was fuzzy, but she remembered jumping off the roof of her house and then landing in the late Harry Potter's arms. That must have been an illusion though, she told herself. Harry was dead and he had been for seventeen years and a day. Or at least something close to that. Ah, but his body was never found, said the little annoying common sense voice in the back of her head. Hermione had always had little silent battles with that voice that told her the truth all of the time. She wanted to believe that Harry was dead. He had caused her so much pain it was almost too much to bear. She didn't want to think of him.   
  
Ron, to her surprise, was in her room asleep on the couch chair that Hermione read on late at night. She got up stiffly and walked in the bathroom and took a much-needed shower. She reeked of alcohol. She inhaled all of the steam from the shower and that perked up her senses. She stepped out and threw on some clothes and walked back outside the bathroom. Ron had woken up.   
  
"Good morning sunshine." He said and went over to her. "I hear you had an interesting evening…"  
  
"Yeah, I was so drunk I thought I fell off the roof and landed- oh god Ron I thought I landed in Harry's arms." A single, fat tear rolled down her cheek.  
  
"Now don't you start that again." Ron warned and wiped it gently off her cheek. "You are no fun when you cry." Hermione laughed. "That's better. Now I suggest you go meet the man who saved your life. I do believe he's having breakfast."  
  
"He stayed here?" Hermione said.   
  
"Angela invited him in. He had nowhere to go."  
  
"Have you met him? Is he okay?" Hermione asked.  
  
"No, actually. But Angela is a smart kid. She wouldn't let the wrong kind of person into your house."  
  
"And how did you get here then?" Hermione said, not able to stop herself.  
  
"HEY!" Ron cried. Hermione grinned wickedly and punched him lightly on the shoulder. "You wanna make something of this?"   
  
"Bring it on, shrimp boy!" Hermione said.  
  
"Oh hardly." Ron said. Hermione kicked her leg high up in the air, just barely missing Ron's face. "Oh, think your smart now, don't you!" Ron grabbed her foot and made her hop around behind him around three times around her room before she managed to shake him off and push him roughly onto the bed. He grabbed her on the way down and they both cracked up. It was like they were in school again, acting like children should. Ron seemed to realize this too and sat up.   
  
"I can't even begin to imagine what my kids are thinking about right now." Hermione said and stood up off the bed. "I need to put some things strait. Belly button piercing? I think not." Ron laughed as Hermione jogged down the stairs into the kitchen. There was an extra head behind a newspaper today. She knew it must have been the guy who had caught her the previous night. The two teens raised their heads when she came into the room.  
  
"Morning mom." They said together.  
  
"Don't you good morning mom me! We need to get a few things strait." Hermione said, her hangover beginning to wear off. "Angela, you are not getting your belly button pierced while you are living under this roof."  
  
"But you said-" Angela began to protest.  
  
"But nothing. I was drunk." Hermione said and cut her off. "And just because I was drunk does not mean you can take advantage of me like that. I thought you had more sense. And I never ever want you two following my example. Never, I repeat, never drink. And James dear," Hermione said, rounding on her son.  
  
"Yes, mum?" James asked.   
  
" Two words. Safe sex." Angela spit out her Cornflakes, James blushed and the stranger laughed.   
  
"Mum!" James hissed and jerked his head towards the man, whose face was hidden behind the paper.   
  
"Oh!" Hermione said. "I almost completely forgot! Um- sir? Could I see you privately in the living room? I'd like to apologize and explain."  
  
"Sure." The man said. He put the paper down and Hermione jumped. He did look a good deal like Harry. Hermione quickly regained composure and led the man into the living room and shut to double doors behind them.  
  
"I'm so sorry I- hmm how shall I put this- screamed in your face and fell on you!" She said the man chuckled.  
  
"It's not everyday beautiful women fall into my arms." He said. Hermione felt a little uncomfortable now.  
  
"My- uh- my reason for being so -ah- startled is that- well-" Hermione began.  
  
"I'm leaving!" Ron called from somewhere upstairs.   
  
"Bye Dad!" Came Angela's voice, oddly close to the room Hermione was in.  
  
"Bye!" James called.   
  
"Ron, are you going to be here for dinner?" Hermione asked loudly  
  
"Are you cooking?" Ron asked.  
  
"No. And do you always answer a question with another question?"  
  
"Just as much as you, dear. Did you say you were'nt cooking? I'll be here then!" Ron called and a very faint pop told them he had left.   
  
"Oh that man..." Hermione grumbled. The stranger cleared his throat loudly. "Oh- what was I talking about?"  
  
"Why you screamed." The stranger said. Hermione shivered. That voice was so familiar.   
  
"Right. It's just that you have a- er- striking resemblance to- to- to ah-" Hermione began to play with her fingers.  
  
"Harry Potter? Oh there is a simple explanation for that. Because my dear Hermione," He lifted a hand to his forehead brushed back some of his bangs away exposing a lightning bolt scar. " I am Harry Potter." Hermione went numb with shock.  
  
"Oh- my- god." Was all she could choke out.   
  
"I missed you Hermione." Harry made his way over to her in one long step and kissed her full on the lips. The kiss lasted for around five seconds. Hermione pushed him roughly into a couch.   
  
"How dare you! Get your hands off me!" She snarled. "Who are you?" She began backing away to the french doors.  
  
"You know who I am." The the mad said. "Don't be silly."  
  
Hermione was breathing quickly in raspy breaths. She looked at the mad from head to toe.  
  
"This is a sick joke." She decided. "A very sick joke." Her hands felt the door knob and she fumbled to get it open.   
  
The man crossed the room to her again. He put a thin hand on her shaking wrist and pried it off the door handle.  
  
"Listen to me." He forced her to look into his eyes. "I know I've been away for a very long time- but if you would let me explain-"  
  
Hermione shut her eyes. ~* This is a bad dream*~ she thought and squeezed her eyes shut tighter.  
  
"Hermione, you don't belive it's me do you?" He said.  
  
Hermione opened her eyes, and glared viciously at the man. "What tipped you off?"  
  
"Hermione. Listen to me now." He said. "Ask me any question. I swear I will know the answer."  
  
Hermione looked at the man. His eyes were pleading and his hands were twisting nervously together behind his back. It was him. It had to be. Her fright turned to anger.   
  
"You think you can just come in my house after SEVENTEEN YEARS and just kiss me and everything will be okay?" She asked.  
  
"You owe me one." Harry said smittenly.  
  
"I owe you nothing." Hermione hissed.  
  
"I saved your life last night!" Harry pointed out.  
  
"You ruined my life." Hermione spat.  
  
"How so?" Harry said.  
  
"You left me for seventeen years!" Hermione said, a tear falling down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away. She was not going to cry.  
  
"Oh, and that apparently didn't hold you back for a long time." Harry motioned behind him to the kitchen where the twins were supposed to be having breakfast. "Did you and Ron get married the same day I disappeared? Or did you wait a week, out of respect for the dead?"  
  
"You mock my pain!" Hermione cried melodramatically. "I died that day."  
  
"Why did you do it? Didn't I tell you I'd always come for you?" Harry clearly had no idea what was going on here. Hermione however had figured it out: Harry thought she had married Ron, and had kids with him.  
  
" And is that supposed to mean something to me? The promise of a nineteen year old man?" Hermione laughed bitterly.  
  
" The promise of your love?" Harry asked. "Yes, it should mean something to you."  
  
"And it did." Hermione said. " And a tip for the future, don't go saying things you don't know are true."  
  
"And what is that supposed to mean?"  
  
"I'm not married to Ron."  
  
"Your kids call him dad." Harry pointed out. "So would that make you a one night stand?" Hermione's jaw dropped and she balled her hands into fists.  
  
She rounded on him. "IS THAT WHAT YOU CONDSIDER ME? A ONE NIGHT STAND?WELL I HAVE NEW FOR YOU HARRY POTTER-" He cupped a hand over her mouth.  
  
"Shhh. you'll make your children wonder." Harry said. "Who is the father?" His eyes were strained.  
  
Hermione looked away. "That is-"  
  
"It was Ron." Harry accused. "You cant deny it."  
  
"THEY ARE NOT RELATED TO HIM!" Hermione said. She did not like where this conversation was heading. "He isnt their father. You, Harry Potter should know Ron and I could never- do- ttttttttthhhhhhhhaaaaaaaatttttttt-" She blushed a deep red and thought viciously ~*I hate that you've seen me naked.*~  
  
"Whatever. I heard you two this morning..." Harry said skeptically.  
  
"What are you implying?"   
  
"That you obviously could love him like that." He put on a strained face and mimicked his old school mates. " 'Oh Rooooon! Stoooooop that! Owwwwwwwwwwwww!' 'Hermione that was fun we should do this more often..."   
  
"Nonsense. Ron and I were having a wrestling match." Hermione said bitting back a yell of fury.   
  
"Hey, I don't care what you call it." Harry said. Hermione slapped him.   
  
"Shut up you!" Hermione said. "You have no right to assume things like- that. Ron and I aren't lovers. That happened oh- about TWENTY YEARS AGO!"   
  
"Touchy, touchy." Harry said. "So if he isn't their father, why do they call him dad?"  
  
"Jesus, Harry! Put two and two together! Ron is their Godfather."  
  
"Uh huh. And why, may I ask, don't they call their father that?"  
  
"Because they've never met."  
  
"Who is the father?"  
  
"YOU!" She avoided his eyes.  
  
"No, that cant be right because we only-" Harry stammered.  
  
"I know that." Hermione snappef, turning red again.   
  
"I have kids?" Harry sat back down in a chair and pondered this silently for a minute. He rubbed his temples with his fingers. "I- I have kids. What? How did that happen?"  
  
"This is hardly the time for me to explain the birds and the bees." Hermione snapped. There were some peculiar noises coming from the other side of the closed doors that told Hermione that Angela and James were listening in, if not watching. Hermione had seen James come in with a portable-hole package.   
  
"They're both so perfect." Harry said. "How did that happen?"  
  
"Okay, we can discuss this later." Hermione said. "Where did you run off to? America? Romania?"   
  
"I have no idea where exactly I was. Nobody ever told me."  
  
"What is that supposed to mean?" Hermione said, dreading the answer.  
  
"That business trip I went on was rigged. When I went to the place where it was supposed to be, I realized something had to be wrong. Nobody was there. Then all of a sudden three other people from my work appeared and neither of them knew what was going on either. Before any of us could say anything to another the place just melted away and we were in cells."  
  
"Cells?" Hermione asked.   
  
"We go tricked into going into Confinement." Harry said. "I dont really remember much else."  
  
"What is Confinement?" Hermione asked uncomfortably.   
  
"It's like a training camp for Wizards and Witches. They locked us all up in this big cell and made us do incredibly hard tasks. They even killed a couple of people. They did weird experiments on the older ones. New torture charms and all. It was horrible." Hermione realized Harry was shaking. She went over and sat next to him.   
  
"However did you get out?"  
  
"That's another mystery. When we all woke up a week or so ago, we were in the same clothes we arrived there in and our wands had been returned to us." Harry said. " We went to the ministry and they told us what they were going to do. They're keeping our story secret for a while. When they do tell they are going to say that I was found in a sleep of living death, being kept alive by druids in the Black Forest. They don't want to worry the public."   
  
"Harry I missed you so much. You have no idea." Hermione said and hugged him warmly.   
  
"And I you." Harry said and hugged her back. "Hermione, I was going to propose to you when I got back from that trip."  
  
"What a coincidence, so was I," Hermione said and laughed through her tears of joy.   
  
"So will you marry me?"  
  
"Of course." Hermione whispered in his ear. Harry grinned at her and they kissed deep and long. The double doors gave in and Angela and James toppled into the room and watched their parents with large smiles on their faces. They were a family again. Angela couldn't wait to call Ron and tell him all about it.   



End file.
